Many conventional compressors use a “bottom shell” (along with a “center shell” and “top shell) to form a pressure containing vessel, or housing. Depending on the refrigerant being used and pressure vessel code being followed, the pressure vessel must be designed to withstand a certain burst pressure as defined in the codes. In many cases, the top and bottom shells of the compressor housing have a domed shape so as to minimize hoop stresses under pressure, and to allow for the use of thinner gauge materials.
In order to mount the compressor, to a piece of HVAC equipment for example, this compressor housing with its dome-shaped bottom must have a means of holding the compressor upright during handling and assembly. Typically, and as shown in the conventional compressors and mounting systems of FIGS. 1 and 2, additional mounting plates or mounting feet 4 are welded (or otherwise suitably attached) to the compressor housing 3 for this purpose. These mounting feet 4 may also be designed to work in conjunction with a vibration isolating grommet, for example, if only one compressor is used in the system or refrigerating circuit. In many conventional HVAC or refrigeration system applications, compressors are used in tandem, trio or even quadro configurations. In such applications, the two, three, or four compressors are typically mounted on a pair of common base rails 5, as shown in FIG. 2, and interconnecting piping (e.g., suction, discharge, and oil equalization) may be used to provide a single common suction and/or common discharge to the rest of the refrigeration system. Typically, the compressors are hard mounted to such rails 5, and the rails 5 are then mounted on vibration isolating rails.
Further, due to the typically domed shape of the bottom shell 6, in many cases the mounting feet 4 must be located on the bottom shell 6 at an elevation that is low enough to hold the compressor upright when placed on a flat surface. This low-mounting foot elevation increases the overall applied height of the compressor. In application, the elevation increase is often made apparent by the presence of adapters 8 and/or spacers 7.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,541B1 discloses a footplate for hermetic shell compressors, while U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,616B2 discloses a sealed compressor housing with noise reduction features, the entire teachings and disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,868B2 discloses a method of making a lower end cap for scroll compressor, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,002,528B2 discloses a compressor having vibration attenuating structure, while U.S. Pat. No. 7,819,638B2 discloses a compressor mounting system specifically for mobile applications, the entire teachings and disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Embodiments of the present invention represent an advancement over the state of the art with respect to compressors and the housings therefor. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.